


Loosen Up

by drewpan



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/M, Festivals, Fluff, One Shot, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:32:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26859007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drewpan/pseuds/drewpan
Summary: Aryth takes Quin to a festival.
Relationships: Original D&D Character(s)/Original D&D Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 4





	Loosen Up

Meetings, paperwork, organization, repeat. These are the common staples of a particularly busy day for Quin Brightwood. Tonight, being one of the busiest days year round, was the Xarith Festival. Every year since Quin had been elected into The Mystic Council, he harbored the responsibility of ensuring everything go as planned. Basically, he was the grand organizer. That meant talking to countless people regarding decorations, commodities, culinary, and even fireworks. Ultimately, ensuring everything he had listed was accounted for. 

And, like _every year,_ he spent the Xarith Festival the same: overworked and passed out from the day’s exhaustion, slumped over his desk in his private office. 

Quin slowly unlocks the door, stepping into his study. He doesn’t bother to lock it again behind him. Carelessly, he drops a leather messenger bag on to the floor as he enters. A few pens roll out at the sudden impact. He continues sluggishly making his way to a large, intricate desk, before plopping himself down on an equally intricate chair. All before letting his head fall against the wood for well-needed rest.

He’s not sure how long he’s been out, but he suddenly feels soft tapping on his shoulder. Quin opens his eyes and turns up to see Aryth, his rogue, redhead apprentice. She smiles down at him beamingly. He buries his face back into his arms. 

“May I help you?” He mumbles flatly into the table. 

“Quin, do you know what tonight is?” She asks excitedly.

Quin faintly hums in response.

“The Xarith Festival? Sindarin?” She continues incredulously. “What are you doing sleeping in your office?”

“I’ve had a long day.” 

Aryth purses her lips. “You know, people don’t usually go to these things alone...”

Quin continues lying there, unresponsive. 

She begins kicking around nervously. “Oh, if only I had someone to accompany me to the festival...”

Quin lifts his head to look at her, the bottom part of his face still being covered by the sleeves of his coat. He quirks an eyebrow questionably. 

“It’s such a shame I don’t have a tall, handsome wizard to accompany me to tonight’s event!” She dramatically exclaimed, throwing her hand over her forehead for dramatic effect. 

“No.”

“Come on, Quin! We’d have so much fun. I’ve never been before.” 

A few beats pass. No response.

“Trust me, you will have a good time. If you don’t, well... nothing! Cause you’ll definitely have a good time!”

Quin sits up and props his elbow, resting his chin on his hand. “You’re not leaving anytime soon, are you?”

“Not unless you’re coming with me!” She smiles. 

The wizard takes a hand to his face, wiping his eyes. He quietly sits there, contemplating. 

“Alright.” He finally agrees.

“Really?” Aryth grins, hopping excitably in place. 

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

She squeals as Quin stands himself up from his chair. He stretches his arms out to relieve the stiffness in his shoulders and tilts his head to relieve a similar stiffness in his neck. 

“You won’t regret this.” 

-

The streets are cold and quiet. The two donned in their retrospected coats, the air cool enough to make the heat of their breath visible. Aryth led the way as they walked silently. 

“So this is it?” Quin deadpanned. 

“Of course not. Stop being such a grouch.” Aryth quipped. “We’re not on the right street yet.”

Surely enough, a short walk and a turn away, the festival was at its dawn. Families, children, and lovers full of laughter came flushing in to join the celebration. It isn’t really Quin’s scene. He turns to look at Aryth, intending to persuade her to let him go, but he sees the wonder in her eyes. The lanterns of the festival reflect off of her dark brown irises as she stares in excited amazement. Quin isn’t heartless. 

“What should we do first?” She turns to him eagerly. 

“This was your idea.”

She ponders for a bit. “Could you eat?” 

Quin realizes he hadn’t eaten all day. He feels the familiar tinge of hunger in his gut before humming agreeably. 

“Great! Let’s go!” Aryth grabs Quin by the hand and pulls him through the crowd. He doesn’t testify. 

There’s so many food stands that Aryth is overwhelmed by choice. Quin feels like he could eat anything, the hunger pangs hitting harder at the scent of the food. 

“There’s just so much to choose from...” Aryth starts unsurely. Suddenly, an epiphany hits her as she slams her fist into her hand. “I know! We can try all of it!”

Quin looks at her expressionless. 

“I mean, we could sample all of it. How fun would that be? We could say we’ve tried everything at the festival.” She giggles. 

“Alright.” Quin agrees, really just to get any kind of food in his stomach. 

Quin has to give himself credit. The culinary at the festival was sublime, each sample providing different complex flavors and utmost quality, just like he ensured it would. Aryth contentedly scarfs down the samples, humming to the taste of each morsel. She consistently takes two skewered portions from each booth that they pass, consuming one for herself and offering the other directly to Quin’s mouth. 

“Quin Brightwood!” A tall, burly man rumbles as he approaches them. “Good to see your face.”

“As to you, Tudon.” Quin replies with a bow. 

“Excellent job done with the festival, as usual.” The man lets his eyes fall on Aryth. “Good evening, my lady.”

“Hi, I’m Aryth.” She warmly states, reaching her hand out for a shake. The man shakes her hand lightly. 

He looks over at Quin suggestively. “I’ll leave you two to enjoy the night. Always good to see you letting loose, Brightwood.”

Before the man walks away, he covers his mouth from Aryth’s sight, directing it towards Quin. “Quite the catch you’ve got there.” He commemorated in a low voice. Quin is about to correct him until the man lays a hard hand on his shoulder, patting in a friendly matter. He walks away. 

“I don’t think I caught what he said?” Aryth questioned. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Quin assured. 

Aryth takes his word for it. She looks around and spots a line of booths with classic festival games. “Games! Are you any good?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything!” She chirped. She grabs onto his hand again, guiding him towards the games. He felt warm. 

Aryth is a brilliant girl. She has photographic memory and multiple, impressive academic achievements under her belt. But god, is she awful at festival games. Quin pitifully watched her try to toss wooden rings for what felt like, the hundredth time. She groans in frustration. 

“This is impossible. You try.” Aryth hands the remaining rings to Quin. 

With cutthroat accuracy, he lands every single ring in their retrospective spots. Aryth gawks at him. 

“You used magic!” She accused him.

“Actually, I didn’t.”

“You totally did! There’s no way you got all of them perfectly.”

He forced a smile down.

After some discussion, they decided to browse the festival’s wares. As they ambled down the festival marketplace, Aryth put on hats, scarfs and the like, turning to pose comedically at Quin. He smiled in response. It was gratifying seeing how his work paid off. Everything truly was where it needed to be. He turned over to look at Aryth again, only to find her nowhere in sight. Confused, he looked around vigilantly, soon to find Aryth standing at a booth much farther away. He catches up to her, noticing her conversing with the clerk. The man was holding up a dainty necklace, adorned with a small, shining red gem. 

“Quin, look!” Aryth gestures. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Yes, yes! It matches her fiery red hair, wouldn’t you say?” The clerk added enthusiastically. 

“How much?”

Aryth looks up at him taken aback. 

“50 gold coins, fine sir.” The man then looks over at Aryth. “But, 40 gold coins for this pretty lass.”

Quin hums. He pulls out a small satchel and places it in front of the clerk before sauntering away. Aryth blushes fiercely. 

The live music at the festival was the center of attention. Upbeat music played as people in couples, or even groups, joined hands to freely dance in the square. Aryth was working up the courage to ask Quin for a dance until-

“Quin Brightwood, would you care for a dance?,” asked a random, young woman who had approached him. 

“As well as for me, Sir Brightwood.” Another woman chimed in. 

Aryth felt her heart drop to her stomach. 

“My apologies, but I’d have to decline.” Quin replies politely to them both. 

The women bow before walking away, concealing their shame. 

“Wow. Quin “heart breaker” Brightwood back at it agai-“

Quin offers his hand to her. She looks at him questionably. 

“Care to dance?” He proposes. 

Blood rushes to Aryth’s face as she softly smiles. She gently puts her hand in Quin’s, allowing him to lead her to the square. 

They dance to the rhythm, surrounded by other dancers. Commoners surrounded the square, clapping and stomping to the beat of the music. A familiar man whispers into the ear of one of the musicians. He was the man from earlier, Tudon. The musician nods in response in an acknowledging manner. The once upbeat music gradually loses vigor before it becomes a tempo better suited for slow dance. Aryth locks eyes with Quin as they swayed to the music. They do this for a while. 

“Admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“You’re having fun.” 

Quin smiled before looking downwards, then to Aryth again. He wants to say something else, but a loud sound emits from the sky. Falling lights twinkle overhead. The first firework had been lit. Aryth turns to gauge Quin’s reaction. He’s staring at the extravagant lights, displaying his side profile to her. She watched the way his skin changed color under the lighting and the reflection of the dancing colors in is eyes. He suddenly turns to look back at her, but she quickly averts her gaze, flustered. They continue dancing a bit longer. 

“Come on, let’s get a better view of the fireworks.” Aryth eventually suggests. 

She grabs his hand for the hundredth time that night, not like Quin was complaining, and guided him through the crowd. Quin looked around him, observing the awe in the faces of everyone gawking at the lights and turns over to Aryth. 

“Watch this.” He says, a bit uncharacteristically, before bringing a hand up to the sky and chanting a powerful spell. His tattoos light up under his bands, which were hidden under his coat sleeves, before sparks of light emitted from his hand into the sky. Brilliant colors painted the atmosphere which outshone the fireworks by a long shot. Everyone gasped in amazement as the colors continued to swirl about in elaborate patterns. 

“Hey!” A royal guard yells towards him. Luckily, Quin was far enough for him to be unidentifiable. 

“Let’s go!” Aryth exclaimed, before tugging Quin’s arm. They ran into the crowd, no one really noticing them from the daze of the magical sparks. The guards spread about searching for them, but they had already disappeared. 

Aryth was giggling as they ran through the empty streets that led back to the castle. Quin huffed a smile as they turned around to check if they were being pursued. No one in sight. They quietly, but contentedly walked besides each other, making their way back to Quin’s office. After reaching the top of the steps outside of his door, they watched the fireworks light up the sky from there. 

“I had a good time.” Quin started, breaking the silence. Aryth looks over to him, eyebrows slightly raised before beaming widely. He began unlocking his door. 

“I told you to trust me.” Aryth replied softly. She looks at him for a while before continuing, “Good night.” She says even softer. 

Aryth turns to start making her way to her room in the lower levels before Quin gently grabs her by the arm. She turns to him, as he closes the space between them, giving her an intimate, chaste kiss. 

“Seriously. Thank you.” He says before closing the door behind him. 

Aryth stands there stunned. Her heart is reeling and flames violently fan behind her cheeks. She brings a hand to her lips in disbelief before stifling a squeal. She bolts to her room and once she’s on her bed she screams into her pillow. 

_Quin kissed her._

**Author's Note:**

> again, pls excuse the verb tenses. i’m awful at them haha :’)


End file.
